Defining an Irish citizen

I WRITE with reference to the Justice Minister's plan to hold a referendum on the rights of those born on the island of Ireland to automatic citizenship.

Following on from that the right to live and work in this country, I suggest that an automatic right to citizenship should only apply to those born to Irish parents on the island of Ireland, or to any person born to Irish parents abroad.

Secondly, the right to apply for Irish citizenship should be open to any person marrying an Irish citizen, or to any person of Irish descent with at least one grandparent or great-grandparent born on the island of Ireland .